Heirloom tomatoes are non-hybrid/ Open pollinated
cultivars of tomato. Many varieties of Heirloom tomatoes
were in danger of extinction but in recent years have
become increasingly popular and more readily available.
Heirloom tomatoes can be either indeterminate or
determinate. Indeterminate means they produce tomatoes
all season long. Determinate means they will bear most
of their fruits at one time.

Heirloom vegetables are
any type of variety of seed that has been saved and
grown for multiple generations . All Heirlooms are Open
pollinated or OP plants , Open Pollinated simply means
cultivars that produce seeds / seedlings with the same
characteristics as the parent plant. Rarely will a
hybrid do this.

A Hybrid Tomato is cross bred with other compatible
plants in an effort to create a plant with desirable
characteristics from both parents. New varieties of
Hybrids are introduced every season and are labeled as
hybrids or F1 (first-generation hybrid),F2
(second-generation hybrid). These may eventually
stabilize after multiple generations.

Hybrids are not genetically modified organisms {GMOs}. A
GMO is a plant, whose genetic material has been altered
in order to give it characteristics that it could not
acquire naturally.

Seed Quality of Heirloom Tomatoes

If you decide to grow Heirloom Tomatoes I recommend you
use only high quality seeds, purchased from a reputable
source.

There are up to 250 tomato seeds per one gram;
approximately 150 and possibly as many as 200 good
plants are produced per gram that is sown. The process
of seed extraction used both commercially and by Tomato
enthusiasts is actually very complex and tedious and
does have a major impact on the ultimate quality of the
plants and tomatoes produced. Propagation and
cultivation techniques for Heirloom Tomatoes is no
different from standard practices used to grow tomatoes
at home. See Home Grown Tomatoes

Varieties of Heirloom Tomatoes

Heirloom tomato varieties vary widely in color, taste,
shape, and size. One drawback to some heirloom cultivars
is that they lack resistance to many diseases, some are
also prone to splitting and cracking.

Heirloom Tomatoes - Visual identification

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